Shoestring-fastener



(No Model.)

H. H. ABELL.

SHOESTRING FASTENBR. N0. 561,550 Patented June 9, 1896.

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'NTTED STATES PATENT Enron.

HARRY HERBERT ABELL, OF PORT EWEN, NEIV YORK.

SHOESTRlNG-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,550, dated June 9,1896.

Application filed September 12, 1894. Serial No. 522,863. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY HERBERT ABELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port Ewen, in the county of Ulster and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners forStrings and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to string-fasteners and the like and aims toprovide certain improvements, which will be hereinafter fully set forthwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is aperspective view of the preferred form of fastener. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the preferred form of the body of the fastener shownin Fig. 1 without the staple-attacher and the spring-presser shown inthat View; and Fig. 3 is an edge view of the fastener as shown in Fig.2,looking from the left. Fig. 4L is a perspective view of thestapleattacher shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thespring-presser shown in Fig. l, the legs of the staple-fastener forholding it being shown in section in the positions they occupy whenholding the presser on the fastener 5 and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectionacross the fastener shown in Fig. 1, cut on the plane of the string whenfastened to the latter, and showing one method of attaching the free endof the string thereto.

My present invention aims to provide a fastener which shall be simpler,cheaper, less bulky, and more effective than those heretofore employed.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form I construct thefastener of two substantially parallel wings or arms c011- nected at oneend and slightly separated and thrown out of alinement between thisconnection and their free ends, so that a string can be forced into theslit between them and will be frictionally and elastically held therein,and I provide on one of the wings a suitable provision by which it canbe attached to an object and on the other wing a presser beneath whichthe free end of the string can be held after it has left the slit. allpreferably formed from a single piece of sheet metal, and the fasteningfor the free end of the string is effected by winding it at rear of botharms, then around the attaching These arms are provision, then at rearof the arm carrying this provision and upwardly to the separated ends ofthe arm, then downwardly through the tapering slit between them, andthen under the presser; and I also provide certain other features ofimprovement, which will be fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, let A indicate the fastener and B the string, 0 theprovision for attaching the fastener to an object, and D a holder forthe free end a of the string.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to (3, inclusive, which show the preferredform of my invention, I will describe my improvements as thereinillustrated.

According to my improvements the fastener A consists of two arms, wings,or members E and F, which are connected together at their lower ends andseparated attheir upper ends, or vice versa, as preferred, and one ofwhich has an attaching provision O and the other a presser or holder D,by which provision the arms can be attached permanently to an object atone point and by which presser the fastener can be separably attached toan object at another point. The arms E and F at their connected ends arepreferably united by a cross-piece G. At the other ends the end a of thearm E is preferably bent, beveled, or distorted forwardly, part-icularlyat its edge adjacent to the other arm, and the free end 61 of the arm Fis shorter and correspondingly bent, beveled, or distorted, so thatbetween the arms there is a long, tapering, narrow string-slot H, theupper portion 6 of which is wide and flaring and the lower portion f ofwhich is slender and narrow, which slot terminates at the point wherethe two arms are joined. The walls of this slot are formed by theadjacent edges h and 2' of the arms E and F, which edges are slightlybent or flared and preferably slightly overlapped, so that as the stringis forced down in the slot it will gradually be bent and compressedtherein, and when forced far enough to spring the wings apart it will beengaged elastically between these.

One of the wings is provided with attaching provisions and a presser isopposite the other. The attaching provisions may be of any suitablecharacter and are constructed to make asuitable connection with theobject to which the fastener is to be attached. I prefer to employ asthe attaching provision an eye or hole 7), formed in the arm It, beyondor at one side of the string-slot H, and to use a staple I, the shanks jof which are passed through the hole Z) and serve at rear thereof toengage the object to which the fastener is to be attached. Any othermeans may be employed for attaching the fastener to an object.

Thepresser D is opposite the other arm and is preferably an elasticpresser extending substantially parallel with the arm and the slot IIand adapted to receive the free end of the cord between itself and theouter face of the arm and press it against the latter. The presser ispreferably formed of the bent spring-wire J, held in place by the rivetI. Preferably the presser is formed with an outwardly-bent nose Z forfacilitating passage of the cord back of it, and with an outward bend orpocket 071, into which the cord can slip and by which it will be heldagainst accidental escape.

The fastener-body is preferably all formed of the one piece of sheetmetal, being cut and bent to the required shape. The fastening G thenconsists of the unsevered portion of the metal between the arms E and Fbeyond the slot II. All parts are preferably flat and in substantiallythe same plane.

In use the cord is fastened by passing its free end back of the fastenerand preferably over, around, and then upwardly above the attachingprovision, as the shank of the staple, as shown in Fig. (3, anddownwardly through the slot II to the front and middle portion of thefastener opposite the presser, and then laterally downwardly behind thelatter. The several bends in the cord give a sufficient resistanceagainst slipping and the presser prevents accidental loosening. Tounfasten the cord, it is first drawn out from under the presser, thenwithdrawn from the slot, and then unwound from the body.

It will be seen that my invention provides an improved fastener ofsimple and convenient construction which can be readily andadvantageously used; and it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the particular details of construction and arrangementconstituting the preferred form of the invention, nor to the particularuse shown, since it can be availed of according to such modifications ofconstruction and operation, and-according to such uses, as circumstancesor the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate, withoutdepart-in g from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. In fasteners for strings and the like, a bodycomprising two substantially parallel arms and a connection betweenthem, means carried by one of said arms for attaching the fastener to anobject, and a holder opposite the other of said arms for holding astring, and a slot between said arms open at one end for the receptionof the string, the adjacent edges of said arms overlapping disposed inproximity, and constituting at their adjacent faces the walls of saidslot.

2. In fasteners for strings and the like, a fastener comprising twosubstantially parallel arms overlapping adjacent edges in closeproximity,separated at one end and connected at another, whereby thespace between them constitutes a slot, and means carried by one of saidarms for attaching the fastener to an object.

3. In fasteners for cords and the like, a fastener adapted to beattached to a body and having two substantially parallel parts separatedfrom each other at one end and connect ed to each other near their otherends, placed substantially side by side in different planes slightlyoverlapping at their adjacent edges, and disposed with their adjacentedges in part out of contact, whereby between said edges there exists anarrow string-slot, and attaching provisions on said fastener for attaching it to an object, whereby by passing the free end of a stringinto said slot it will be gripped by the adjacent edges of said parts.

4. In fasteners for cords and the like, a fastener having twosubstantially parallel parts having adjacent opposite overlapping edges,said parts connected rigidly together near one end, and projectingslightly apart and disconnected at their other ends, and there havingbetween them a tapering string slot into which a string can be passedfor connecting it to the fastener, and means carried by the undermost ofsaid parts for attaching it to an object.

5. In fasteners for cords and the like, a fastener having two partsdisposed substantially side by side, the edge of one overlapping theadjacent edge of the other, connected rigidly together at one point,free at their other ends and there in close proximity and capable ofslight relative movement, the one part of greater projection at its freeend than the other, and said parts having between them a narrowstring-slot, entrance to which is between their free ends, whereby astring can be passed in said slot to connect it to the fastener, andmeans for attaching the fastener to an object.

6. In fasteners for cords and the like, the fastener having twosubstantially parallel parts having their adjacent edges in closeproximity and overlapping, said parts connected together near one end,and free at their other ends, there differently bent and having betweentheir bent portions and ad jacent edges a narrow string-slot into whicha string can be passed for connection to the fastener, and attachingprovisions carried by one part for attaching the fastener to an object.

I-IABRY HERBERT ABELL. In presence of- HENRY VAN AKEN, C. A. ABELL.

